The owners of The Local History Press announce their retirement and their decision to sell Local History Online and its associated assets

Being involved in publishing, editing and writing for a national magazine about local history for the past twenty-five years, as well as creating and managing a top-ranking local history website, is no mean achievement. Susan Griffiths and Robert Howard produced the first issue of Local History Magazine in 1984 and were joined in 1999 by Barbara Hornby who became Reviews Editor. They continued to publish the magazine until 2004, when ownership passed to Brewin Books in the West Midlands. Somehow in the midst of the day-to-day challenge of producing a magazine six times a year, they found the time to start the innovative 'History Into Print' service for self-publishing local historians (which is now also part of Brewin Books) and in 1997 to launch the top ranking Local History Online website, which is still going strong under their direction in 2009.

The owners, approaching retirement, are now thinking of continuity in the future and are looking for an interested buyer for The Local History Press Ltd, including Local History Online, an up-to-date website with page one rankings on all the major search engines, two domain names (www.local-history.co.uk and www.local-history.com), an online bookshop plus stock and back issues of Local History Magazine (nos.1–92) and an up-to-date and substantial local history database with over 1,750 entries covering societies, links and local history course providers. There is also an archive dating back to 1984, which includes 500 articles and over 6,200 book reviews, plus countless entries for local history periodicals from all around the country.

This is an unrivalled opportunity for someone with an interest in local history to buy an established business or for an existing organisation to acquire assets which complement existing activities and come with twenty-five years of goodwill. After seeking professional advice, we have decided to invite offers to purchase The Local History Press Ltd, such offers to be received no later than 31 October 2009. In the meantime, we reserve the right to accept a conditional offer before this date. We aim to sell the company by the end of this year. If you would like further information before submitting an offer, please contact us direct:

Susan Griffiths or Robert Howard, Local History Online, The Local History Press Ltd, 3 Devonshire Promenade, Lenton, Nottingham NG7 2DS, Tel: 0115 9706473, Email: editors@local-history.co.uk.